CGTN America
Overdose was directed by Jason Motlagh and Mark Oltmanns. Motlagh gave us some insight into production.
Overdose Director Jason Motlagh
What attracted you to the story of Overdose?
Opioids killed more Americans in one year than the entire Vietnam War. And the crisis is only growing worse, as more powerful drugs hit the streets. There’s been some excellent media coverage about what’s driving the addiction epidemic, the role of predatory drug companies and the plight of the addicted. But the scale of the crisis is still not fully appreciated by U.S. policymakers.
Why was it important to tell this story?
This is a national public health emergency. Natural disasters that affect a fraction of the population are handled with an urgency that transcends politics. This should be no different. It’s incredible that our government has yet to put forward a comprehensive strategy to deal with the opioid crisis.
What should we know about your filmmaking process?
We immerse ourselves in the world of our subjects. Because we work with a light footprint — minimal personnel and gear — and don’t cling to plans or schedules, we’re able to follow the current of the story wherever it leads us. Our job is to listen, keep our eyes open and the camera rolling.
Did you make any unexpected discoveries while shooting?
There’s no stereotypical opioid addict. Every strata of American society is under siege: poor and rich, urban and rural, black and white. No family is immune.
What do you hope your documentary will achieve?
There’s a tendency in this country to dismiss drug addicts as weak or less worthy of help. If this stigma persists, we’re in a lot of trouble. Our goal in making this film was to reframe the way we look at the addicts among us. By tracking the descent into addiction and impact on loved ones and communities, we hope viewers will see them as people with a sickness in need of care and support, not scorn.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES | DATA
Since the 1990s, more than 351,000 people in the U.S. have died from an opioid overdose. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines the problem as multi-layered, across three distinct waves.
THE THREE WAVES OF THE OPIOID CRISIS FROM CDC.
Opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. continue to climb. Whether they are from synthetic opioids (like methadone), commonly prescribed opioids (like fentanyl) or heroin, the rates of overdose deaths today are five times higher than they were nearly twenty years ago.
RISING RATES OF OVERDOSE
